Unspoken Secrets
by Crocodile Machine
Summary: Two orphaned teens, Mariah and Taylor, go to Paris. They go to a masque and meet a very charming man guess who? Eventually, they decide to stay in the abandoned Opera House. Guess who's there? But... One girl is mute.
1. Let the Dream Begin

**Unspoken Secrets**

By Mademoiselle Emmi

Summary:  
Two orphans by the names of Taylor and Mariah go to France with their orphanage. Sick of their lives, they leave their group and take housing in the abandoned Opera House. Erik, of course, is there, having survived somehow. Come on, you can guess what happens, can't you? But take into account this little spin-off… Mariah is mute.

**Disclaimer:  
I don't own The Phantom of the Opera. If I did, I'd be purchasing the Opera House right now instead of writing some silly fantasy.  
I do, however, own the characters Taylor Smith and Mariah Matthews. I also own the drawings of them. Credit for the development of Taylor Smith goes to my good friend, Sensei. She knows who she is.  
Relativity to real life is purely coincidental, such as times, places, names, and buildings. For instance, if there really are young ladies by the names of Taylor Smith and Mariah Matthews, the names are pure coincidence and have no relation to any such existing persons.  
**

_**Chapter One : And So The Dream Begins**_

If one were to enter the Dallas/Fort Worth airport, Gate C8, at 3:57 a.m., he or she would lay eyes upon a group of twelve teenagers, most of whom were sleeping. Ten of those young people were between the ages of sixteen and eighteen. The other two were girls who, by age, did not belong. They were fifteen, and therefore fortunate to be going on the Mortensen Orphanage Foreign Studies trip. Yes, these teens were all orphaned at some point in their lives. In some, the effect of being orphaned had manifested itself more than it did in others, especially in the case of one of these girls. But that is a story for later.

This year, the Foreign Studies group was going to Paris, France.

Suddenly, a voice cried out, sternly, "Taylor! Come here, now!" It was the voice of Ms. Abigail Mortensen, the current Headmistress of Mortensen Orphanage. The loud quality of her voice caused several sleeping teens to stir, but almost immediately fall into slumber once more.

In response to Ms. Abigail Mortensen, a young woman stood. "Coming, Headmistress." Taylor was a very tall girl, with large, glowing emerald eyes. Her hair was long, about two inches past her shoulders, red with brown undertones in color, and very wavy. She also wore glasses. All in all, she was a very pleasant sight to behold. She looked much older than her years accounted for. But that would soon be remedied: her birthday was in four days. Imagine spending your sixteenth birthday in Paris!

Two of Taylor's most distinguishing features were her smile and a necklace. When Taylor smiled, the sun shone through even on the cloudiest day, just to catch a glimpse of it. As for the necklace, it was a black-velvet choker. Dangling lightly from it was a gold locket which depicted a cat. It was a gift from Taylor's only friend, Mariah, whom she sometimes called Ri.

((A/N "Ri" is pronounced "Ree".))

"Yes, Headmistress?" said Taylor as she approached the middle-aged woman.

"Ah, Miss Smith."

Smith was not really Taylor's last name. All orphans who came to Mortensen with no last name to be found were given the name 'Smith'. Taylor was just such a child.  
"Yeah, you called for me, Headmistress?"

"Yes, I did." Ms. Mortensen glared at Taylor. Taylor was definitely not one of her favorite orphans.

"And….?" Taylor returned the glare. The feeling of dislike was most certainly mutual.

"And, Miss Smith. I'm going to warn you that should you try any funny business while in Paris, anything at all, you will be sent to another orphanage. I'll let some other old woman try to handle your rebellion."

"Why, Headmistress, I don't know what on Earth you mean!" Taylor played up the 'innocent little girl' part to a tee.

"Don't get attitude with me, Taylor Smith! You know very well what I mean! I won't tolerate any malarkey from you!"

Taylor silently mimicked every word spewing from the fool's mouth.  
"Do you hear me, Miss Smith?"  
Taylor looked down at the woman. "Yes, I hear you. No foolishness." She rolled her eyes, thankful that Ms. Mortensen was a foot shorter than her and therefore unable to see.  
"Good. Now, go to your seat and get your carry-ons. We'll be boarding in five minutes."

"Great."

Taylor turned away snottily and walked back to her seat next to a sleeping girl. Obviously, she was the other fifteen-year-old. With uncharacteristic gentleness, Taylor awoke the sleeping girl.  
"Mariah…. Mariah, wake up…. We're going to Paris soon."

Quietly, Mariah awoke. She blinked her eyes several times and stretched her arms.  
"Wow, Mariah. You get yourself a good rest?"  
Mariah only nodded.  
"You've got such a dreamy and happy look in your eyes…"  
Mariah smiled softly.  
"What did you dream about?" As she spoke, Taylor got a notepad and a pen from her messenger bag and handed it to Mariah.  
Not wanting to loose memory of the dream, Mariah quickly wrote the following:

((A/N All italics is when Mariah is writing.))

I_ was in a very old, dusty building. It didn't look beautiful at all. Then, as soon as I thought that, the dust flew away and everything was scarlet and gold! Somewhere, brilliant music began to play and I started dancing! I was wearing this same outfit I am now, but then it melted into a ball gown! A man came behind me and spun me into a dance and I was spinning everywhere! I couldn't see his face, though. He wore a hood, but I could see a smile tugging at his lips! He said, "Sing. Now." and I began to sing! I could actually sing! _

It took a while to write, but once it was done, Taylor smiled. She knew that nothing would please Mariah more than the ability to sing. Nothing except the ability to talk.  
"Well, I'm glad you've had that as a dream. Maybe someday, it'll come true."  
Mariah smiled and wrote:

_Thanks Taylor. I hope you're right._

Taylor hugged Mariah momentarily and said, "Mariah, I know it will happen. What with science and the progress it's been making, you'll be talking and singing in no time!"  
A voice came over the speaker system. "Now boarding flight 714 to Paris, France. All passengers present your tickets and passports. Repeat, now boarding flight 714 to Paris, France."  
The girls grinned excitedly.  
"Now let's go have a great time away from this mess!"  
Mariah quickly scribbled the word "Let's!" before grabbing her backpack and shoving the notebook inside. Grinning, she and Taylor boarded the airplane, looking forward to a great time of learning and sight-seeing.

Little did they know that they'd soon cause a great stir of emotions and actions. They would cause a great sensation of choices on their behalf, some which could show them a new existence, and some which could show them Hell.

_((A/N Anyone who wishes to see pictures of Mariah and Taylor are free to e-mail me and request the pictures. Now you all must review! HAHAHAHAHHA!))_


	2. The Unwanted Gown

((A/N Okay, this chapter might be a bit boring. My friend (who I modeled Taylor after) didn't particularly enjoy it. I think that's because she doesn't like shopping or dresses or any combination of the two. Just so you know, this entire chapter is basically in a dress shop.

_**Chapter Two : The Unwanted Gown**_

Three days was all they had in Paris. Three days to see and do many things on the itinerary. On the first day, they went to museums and some cafes. The second day, they saw the Eiffel Tower and other distinguishing landmarks in Paris. They also saw a professional musical performance. That's not to say that that's all they did during those days; there were actually many more things planned. As for their third day, a masquerade ball was being held. Paris was having a Summer Celebration, and as the Mortensen Orphanage was sponsored for the trip to Paris, they managed to get 13 tickets to the masque. The third day was a free day, if you will. It was a day to go shopping, see more sights, and other things. Taylor and Mariah chose to shop for their Masquerade clothes.  
"Oh, Mariah! This one would look brilliant on you!" Taylor held out a very lengthy scarlet gown made from satin. It had beautiful embroidery along the bottom of the dress and at the neckline. It was princess-cut with cap sleeves.  
Mariah grimaced and enthusiastically shook her head "no".  
"Oh… right. Too vibrant. Let's see…."  
Mariah walked down another aisle. The shop was small, but held an incredibly wide selection of dresses. Certainly, the two would purchase their gowns at this store.  
One gown caught her eye. It was nothing like what Mariah would pick for herself, but for Taylor…. It was gold silk with velvet lining along the hem, sleeves, and neckline, which was cut low, but modest. The sleeves were bell-shaped and long, and the gown had just the slightest train. It was perfect.  
Mariah stomped on the floor to get Taylor's attention. Startled, Taylor jumped around.

"Ahh! Mariah, gosh! Give me a heart-attack, would you? Gosh, sometimes I wish you'd not lost your voice."  
Mariah looked down sadly for a moment, then motioned for Taylor to come over. Taylor rolled her eyes playfully and did what was requested of her. Grinning, Mariah pulled the dress from the rack and held it out for Taylor to see.  
"Oh my gosh… that's gorgeous! Oh my… "  
Mariah smiled brightly and held it up to Taylor's body. Her eyes seemed to say, "I bet it's a perfect fit."  
Taylor smiled. Mariah put her hand on Taylor's necklace, which she'd never taken off.  
"You're right… Wow, the dress is the exact same colors as the choker! Hang on, Mariah. Let me go try it on!"  
Mariah nodded and watched Taylor run off to the small dressing room. She continued walking down the aisles, and nothing else caught her eyes. She went to the counter and got out her notebook and pen.  
"May I help you, Miss," said the cashier. Her name-tag was new, and it read "Anneliesse".  
Quickly, Mariah wrote on her notebook:

_Good afternoon, Miss Anneliesse! I am looking for a dress to wear to the Paris Summer Celebration, but nothing here seems to interest me. Perhaps there are dresses in a storage room or something that I might have a look at?_

Anneliesse read the note. "Yes, Miss. We keep a few dresses in the back, but they're very old, and no one has ever shown interest in them."

_That's alright. I'd still like to see them__, if that's alright.  
By the way, your English is beautiful._

Anneliesse blushed. "Thank you, Miss. Right this way, Miss."  
Mariah followed Anneliesse to a small door on the far side of the store.  
"This is the storage room. I technically shouldn't let you in, but I'll make an exception." Secretly, Anneliesse felt awful. Obviously, this girl was mute, and so she took pity. She'd have a hard time conversing at the Masque.  
Bowing her head slightly to Anneliesse, Mariah walked into the small room. It was about 5x5, and held about fifteen dresses. Looking carefully at them, she noticed that most of them were unusually colored. Some were too vibrant, others were so pale that they looked white, and one was even a puke green. No wonder people showed no interest in these. As Mariah turned to leave the room, she noticed a dress was hanging on the back of the storage room door. It was a soft white or very pale blue color, beautifully embroidered, with off-the-shoulder sleeves. It had to be the most fantastic dress she'd ever seen. It had a train of good length, and Mariah knew that it would be beautiful spinning around on a dance floor.  
Opening to a fresh page in her notebook, Mariah wrote:

_Miss Anneliesse, what about this dress? Why is it back here with these others? It hardly belongs at all!_

"Oh. This dress… No, urm, you would not be interested in that old thing, Miss."

_But I most certainly am. Will you tell me why it is back here?_

Sighing, Anneliesse gave in. "Miss, several young women have bought that dress. Always, without failure, disaster has struck the maid who wears it. Once, a bride bought it. She looked absolutely stunning. But she was marrying a sixty year old. She was forty. She came down the aisle, happy as anything, and her husband-to-be suddenly started to have trouble breathing. As it happened, hehad a heart attack. The marriage finally happened about six months later, but not without her returning the gown. She said, 'Miss, you keep the gown and you keep the money.' We had warned her about other things that had happened to women who wore that gown, but she didn't believe until she almost lost the man she loved. This dress is … bad luck."  
Mariah would've laughed.

_But, Miss, how can a dress be bad luck? How do you know it's the dress?_

"Because every time the dress is returned, five beads are found in a pocket inside the gown, just here, at the waist-  
line."

_What does that have to do with bad luck?_

Anneliesse had a very nervous look on her face. "Just one week ago today, a mask was found on the welcome mat at the front of the store. All the beads that we'd saved in our back safe were on that mask. Each bead was placed so perfectly, it was hard to believe that it was real. That mask was so beautiful that it was hard to look at."

_So, a beautiful mask is a symbol of bad luck?_

"Yes and no. Think, we've had enough accidents to merit enough beads to make an entire mask! But, overall, no. It's the note that came with it."

_The note? Can I see it?_

"Not now. But I've memorized what it said. 'Has not enough misfortune occurred? Must you keep selling this gown to those undeserving of it? Next time, a disaster beyond your imagination will occur. It's your choice.'"  
Mariah looked at the dress with a determined look on her face.

_How much is it?_

"I beg your pardon!"

_How much are you selling it for?_

"Miss, I really wouldn't like to sell it."

_But I really would like to buy it._

Anneliesse sighed. "Very well. All these dresses are worth less than our clearance values, so I guess a marketer would price it at 150 of your American dollars. But, the owner of this store hates this dress. She said that if anyone comes along who is willing to keep the dress forever, no returning it, then they may have it for the equivalent of 50 American dollars."  
Mariah nodded and fumbled through her purse, pulling out the European equivalent of $50.

_How much would I need to pay for the mask?_

"Nothing. It comes with the gown."

_May I have the note as well?_

After a moment of stern thinking, "Yes." Mariah smiled.

_Thank you._

"Come now, we'll get the gown, note, and mask in the bag, and you'll be set."  
Mariah watched as she took the dress from the door and walked to the counter.  
"Mariah!" came Taylor's voice. By the time Taylor was done trying on the dress, Mariah's purchase was already put in the bag and ready to go.  
Stunned, Mariah looked at Taylor and the dress she was now wearing.  
Taylor laughed. "That good, eh?"  
Mariah pointed to the mirror as if to say, "See for yourself!"  
Taylor turned around and covered her mouth. "Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh!"  
Anneliesse said, "You look exquisite, Miss! Will you be purchasing the gown?"  
Taylor looked at Mariah, and they silently agreed. "Yes, I will."  
Not wanting to waste any more time on dresses (they still had to buy shoes, jewelry, and hair items), Mariah and Anneliesse helped Taylor get the dress off. It was a lot easier to bag than it was to put on! Happily, with purchases in hand, the two girls walked out of the store. They shopped around some more and found black pearl imitation earrings, flat gold shoes, and a black rose corsage for Taylor. For Mariah, they bought heat curlers, a bit of basic make-up, silver strap shoes, and a silver tiara to match the embroidery of her dress.

As they left, Anneliesse whispered prayerfully, "God be with this girl and those around her. Save her from her misfortune, please!"

((A/N Okay, it's not perfect, but there you have it. Please review!))


	3. Just Like Christine

_**Disclaimer:**_

None of "The Phantom" is mine, but my original characters are. Blah blah blah, you know the drill.

_**Chapter Three : Just Like Christine**_

After their shopping trip, Mariah and Taylor went back to their hotel and checked in with Headmistress Mortensen. The Headmistress barely glaced up from her book when they came by her room.  
"Huh? Oh. Taylor and Mariah." She marked them down on a piece of paper, which already had six names on it. "Okay, you're checked in. Now get out of my room."  
Taylor sighed, "Yes, Headmistress," and Mariah nodded.

They raced up two levels of the hotel and went into their room.  
"Gosh," Taylor said, "Mortensen is such a greedy little witch!"  
Mariah nodded and got out Taylor's laptop. Someone was always donating expensive items specifically to Taylor, such as her CD player, cell phone, and the laptop. Taylor would never say who it was, though, even if she knew. They liked to keep diaries on it, and they sometimes used it instead of the old notepad.

Some nights, they'd stay awake and imagine who it might be that was so interested in Taylor. They were always fantastic stories that they knew weren't true, but they liked imagining it could be so.

_Taylor, Mortensen is so much worse than a 'greedy little witch'! Infinitely worse!_

Taylor laughed. "Yeah, well… I couldn't think of anything better to say. C'mon, we'd better get ready. We've got to do each other's hair, and that could take a while. We've got to get that color enhancement in mine, and we've got to get yours in curlers."

_So let's get to it!_

It was six o' clock when the girls started their preparations for the masquerade. It took10 minutesfor Taylor to find her hair coloring because it'd fallen off her bed and got knocked under it. The entire concoction had to sit for another half hour, and they had to wash her hair before and after the color had been enhanced. Then there was the blow-drying of the hair. Over all, the endeavor of coloring Taylor's hair took about an hour and twenty-five minutes.  
Once the coloring was done, Mariah wrote on the notepad:

_Taylor, you look so gorgeous! The color just pops out! And it brings out your eyes so much! Oh my gosh._

Taylor chuckled. "Yeah, well, you know I can't do hair coloring worth a darn, so it's all thanks to you that it got this way! You've always colored my hair, so the masterpiece is yours!" Taylor did a playful curtsy, which Mariah promptly returned.  
"Okay, enough of that. We've got to get you ready for the party!"  
Thankfully, they only had to make sure Mariah's hair was brushed through perfectly before they could proceed with her curls. While Taylor wasn't a coloring whiz, she was good at styling, which meant she could have the curler's in her hair in about five minutes. She put some holding liquid over the hair while it was in curlers, and they had to sit for half and hour. They decided to just sit and talk, in their way.

"So Mariah. What do you think would be the best thing that could happen tonight?"  
Mariah pondered about this before typing her answer on the laptop.

_I'm sure a lot of things could happen that would be great; it's so hard to pick just one!_

"C'mon, just write something!"

_Well.. I know you're not really in to the whole 'romantic' thing, but try not to throw up, okay?_

Taylor just laughed.  
As she rolled her eyes playfully, Mariah typed:

_I want to go to that masquerade looking stunning. I only want to dance with someone who knows I'm mute and doesn't care. I want to have a great night, and have a guy kiss my hand at the end. I want to go home without a single bad memory of that masquerade._

Again, Taylor laughed. "Dare to dream, Mariah!"  
Mariah looked seriously at Taylor. Her eyes seemed to say, "Please, I'm just trying to imagine the best thing. I don't laugh at you."  
Sighing, Taylor said, "Okay, okay. I give. I'm sorry."  
Her apology was met with a smile.  
"So, what'd I'd like to happen is really far-fetched. The odds of it happening are one in a gazillion." She sighed. "I want to go and meet someone who knows where my family is, someone who knows where I was born and what my last name really is. I'm sick of being Taylor 'Smith', you know? I don't want a name that Mortensen gave me. I want my family's name."  
Mariah nodded in solemn understanding. Although, she'd already given up hope of finding her birth family. They abandoned her, so she didn't want them back. But something inside did want to know who they were. She knew how important it was for Taylor to know her real name. At least Mariah knew that she was a Matthews. Taylor was given a name that accounted for nothing. Mariah knew the pain.  
Taylor glanced at the clock. "Oh, we have to take the curler's out now. You ready to look gorgeous?"  
Mariah nodded vigorously, grinning.

"Okay, let's go!"  
Taylor quickly set to work taking out the curlers. Before she took out the front ones, she made Mariah turn away from the mirror. "Can't have you seeing the product before it's ready!" In five minutes, the curlers were out and the luscious, brown curls with red undertones were cascading down to her shoulders.  
"Hmmm… They don't look… Oh, I don't know… They look more limp than I had hoped."  
Mariah bounced around in her chair slightly to let Taylor know that she wanted to see for herself.  
"Fine." With that one syllable, Taylor spun Mariah's chair around to face the mirror.  
A single tear rose to Mariah's face.

"Huh? What's wrong? Don't you like it?"  
Mariah lifted a hand to her hair and felt the soft, silky curls. She turned her awe-stricken face to look at Taylor. Suddenly, Mariah threw her arms around Taylor in a sisterly embrace. Taylor could hear Mariah try to speak the words "Thank you," but all that came was the hissing noise of the 'th'.  
"Shhh, it's okay. You don't need to say anything. I totally understand, sis." Taylor smiled and hugged Mariah tightly. _It's the least I can do for you, Mariah, _she thought. _I'm gonna make your dream of a perfect masquerade come true.  
"_Okay, c'mon. We have to get dressed now. Do you realize we've spent just shy of two hours on hair?"  
Mariah nodded, laughter singing through her blue eyes. She helped Taylor get her dress on first. The corset back was awfully hard to get right. Once Taylor was in the black velvet gown, her hair styled neatly to fall barely past her shoulders , her little accessories put in place, Mariah snapped a quick picture with Taylor's cell phone.  
"Your turn, Miss Matthews!" said Taylor, happily.  
Mariah's dress was slightly harder to get on. There was a difficulty in getting one of her feet through the many layers of fabric; her foot kept getting snagged in it. Finally, her feet and legs were in, and the torture of the corset began. Thankfully, the corset wasn't as large as Taylor's, who's dress covered all of her back. Mariah's dress, however, exposed much of her back. After struggling, the corset was on and Taylor walked to Mariah's bed to get her bag of accessories.  
"Let's see what we've got… here are your shoes." She handed them off to Mariah who strapped them on. This was also difficult through the many layers of fabric on her gown.  
"Your little… semi-see-through… shawl… scarf.. thingy-ma-bobber…." Taylor laughed at herself. "Here you go." She draped the 'shawl-thingy-ma-bobber' over Mariah's shoulders. There had been a slight concern over the modesty of the off-the-shoulder gown, so the shawl was purchased.  
"Lovely. Absolutely lovely. Let's see.. makeup! Your simple makeup." They'd purchased a bit of blush, eyeshadow, and lip-gloss. Rather quickly for someone who didn't much like makeup, Taylor had applied it rather skillfully.  
"Wow. That's perfect."  
Mariah blushed happily as if to say, "Thanks."  
"Okay… It's time for your coronation, m'lady," Taylor said, jokingly. She placed the silver tiara they'd bought upon a little sweater she'd folded up. She walked over to Mariah, who was sitting down in the chair. Over dramatically, they played out the next moments.

"Mariah … insert middle name here… Matthews! In accepting this crown, you willingly take upon you the responsibilities of being the most stunning girl at the masque. Do you so accept these duties?"  
Mariah nodded. Her laughter would've been filling the room, had it been audible.  
"Very well. As I can think of nothing further to say, Miss Mariah Something-Or-Other Matthews, I place upon your head this tiara. Carry it with pride and… and… aw, dang-it, just put it on!" She placed the tiara on Mariah's head and said, "Arise, Your Majesty!"  
Laughter still covering her face, Mariah stood and curtsied. Suddenly, a clap of thunder rang out and Taylor jumped. Mariah started counting in her mind, showing on her fingers, "One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten - -" The thunder rang out again.  
"Ten miles away! And the place for the ball is eight miles away! D'you think we can make it?"  
Mariah nodded and grabbed their masks. She handed Taylor's off and quickly but carfully placed hers on her face. Taylor then grasped their cloaks. As they tied them around their necks, Taylor said, "Mariah…. you look so.. stunning… If I didn't know better, I'd say you were someone else… like… I don't know! Like Christine from The Phantom of the Opera, except with a bit of red in your hair!"  
Blushing thankfully, Mariah shook her head as he put her hood on.  
"No, not nonsense. If the phantom really existed and came to the ball tonight, he'd die of shock! He'd think his Christine had come back to haunt him!"  
Mariah smiled and beckoned for Taylor to hurry.  
No sooner were they out of the hotel than it thundered again.  
"Nine," said Taylor.  
They ran to a street corner and hailed a taxi. Taylor asked in very poorFrench, "Monsieur, parlay voo American?"

The taxi driver nodded and said, "Yup. Yoo must be Amayreecawn. Your French pronawnciation is wrong."  
"Okay... whatever. Can you take us to where the Paris Summer Celebrational Masque is being held?"  
"Of course! I just had to drop off may dawter, Anneliesse, at that Masque. I'll have yoo there een ten meenutes."  
"Merci-vocoo."  
"One moore thing, Meessy: Don't yoose French. Yoo're not good at eet."  
Mariah looked at Taylor, and together, they laughed in silence.  
Taylor whispered, "Yeah, he's not good at speaking 'Amayreecawn,' either!"

((A/N All those French and English "spelling errors" are supposed to be there. They show a lack of proper pronounciation of the language. So don't think I can't spell. That stuff was meant to be that way. PLEASE REVIEW!))


	4. Masquerade

_**Disclaimer:**_

The Phantom of the Opera isn't mine.

**_((A/N This chapter is really clichéd. Forgive me.))_**

Chapter Four : Masquerade  
The taxi driver got slightly lost. Actually, a lot more than 'slightly' lost. The girls were an hour late. That means that by the time they arrived, it was 10:30 and therefore thirty minutes until the unmasking.  
"We shouldn't have taken so long on getting ready. Theball only lasts until midnight!"  
Mariah looked at Taylor with a shocked looked. Surely, that'd be long enough! An hour and a half to dance! Well, that was assuming anyone would dance with her. Once she didn't talk, the guys were sure to ignore her.  
"Mariah, I know what you're thinking and you'd better stop it. One way or another, you're going to dance. Even if I have to … I don't know, nudge the guys into it. You'll dance and you'll have fun. Promise."  
"Soory to intehruhpt yoo, but heer yoo are. Just gaw inside those doors, and dance. G'bay, ladehs."  
"Aw revwah."  
Both the driver and Taylor rolled their eyes at one another's incorrect speaking abilities.  
Taylor stepped out of the cab first, and a huge puddle greeted her feet. It had been raining for the past forty-five minutes.  
"Oh, darn! The bottoms of our dresses are going to get soaked!"  
Taylor looked up and noticed all the people standing outside of the building with their umbrella's. She saw two boys, fairly strong looking. Both were in tuxedos and simple white masks.  
"Excuse me," she called, beckoning them to her.  
Mariah grasped her arm and shook her head 'no'.  
"It's okay. I'm not going to have our dresses ruined tonight. Not after all we went through to get them on."  
Thinking back to the shop-keeper, Mariah wondered if this was her disaster: a thunderstorm.  
The two boys came over, and Taylor tried her hand at French, once again. This time, she was better. "Parlez vous.. American?"  
"Yes, Miss," said the first boy.  
"How may we assist you?" asked the second, politely. They both had beautifulEnglish accents, which, thankfully, did not ruin their English language.  
"Um, my friend and I," she said, motioning to Mariah, who waved, blushing, at the boys, "we were hoping two strong-looking gentlemen such as yourselves could help us out. Our dresses are rather large and expensive, so we were hoping you two might help us across this wet terrain."  
"You speak like a rich woman," said the second. It was definitely on the mind of the first boy, as well.  
"Yeah sure,thanks. So, will you assist us?"  
"Yes, of course!" They tipped their hats to her and Mariah. The first boy reached in and picked Taylor up by her waist and carried her bridal style. "I apologize, but you ladies will need to carry our umbrellas until we get you up the steps."  
Taylor smiled, a slight blush rising to her cheeks from being held in such a way. "Sure. No problem."  
This first boy carried Taylor swiftly up the large steps up to the building. He almost fell once, and Taylor let out a little scream.  
"Don't worry, m'lady," he said, "I won't drop you!"  
In the meantime, the second boy was trying to coax Mariah into his arms. He was going to carry her in the same style. Enthusiastically, Mariah shook her head.  
"Miss, your face looks like a cherry! No need to be embarrassed; I'm just trying to help!"  
Still, Mariah shook her head 'no'.  
"Am I really that awful that you won't let me help you as your friend requested?"  
Mariah came closer to the door and apologetically put her hand on his shoulder and shook her head quickly 'no'.  
"Good. Then it's settled."  
With that, he picked her up and Mariah opened her mouth to scream.  
"Don't be frightened, Miss! I just - - Wait… why can't I hear your scream?"  
Mariah looked down, ashamed and still blushing.  
"It's okay. Let's get you inside before the rain soaks your lovely cloak, and, in turn, your gown."  
With that, he hurried up the steps, although more carefully than the first boy, and Mariah clutched the umbrella tightly. She was careful to make sure that this boy was covered from the rain as well.  
They met Taylor and the first boy up at the top of the steps.  
Graciously, Taylor said, "Thank you boys so much. We hope we didn't put you in an awkward position."  
"Not at all," said the second, looking at Mariah. "It's not every day that one gets to carry such beautiful young ladies, and complete strangers, at that, in their arms."  
Taylor laughed, and Mariah smiled, still blushing.

"My name is Taylor Smith. This is my best friend, Mariah Matthews."  
Mariah promptly curtsied and the first boy grinned.  
"And I am Anthony Gerard de Chagny. This is my best friend - -"  
"I am James Louis de Rossi the Second."  
"Oooh," said Taylor, "He's a 'Second'!"  
They all, except Mariah, laughed. Although Mariah did have a joyful look on her face.  
James said, "Well, Lady Mariah Matthews, it was an honor to escort you to the doors of this building." He took her hand, and Anthony took Taylor's.  
To Taylor, Anthony said, "Perhaps, Miss Taylor, you will honour me with the last dance this evening?"  
"Of course!" Taylor said.  
Gently, Anthony kissed Taylor's hand, who promptly blushed.  
"And you, Miss Mariah? Will you honor me with the last dance?"Mariah nodded, blushing, and kissed his hand before he could kiss hers.  
Anthony chuckled. "How absolutely charming you are!" He slowly and gently kissed her hand. Mariah stared at him. He had a beautiful smile, and gorgeous emerald eyes to match his astonishing features.  
He, as well, stared at Mariah. She was so simply accessorized, and such an innocent and vulnerable look graced her imperfect features.  
"Absolutely stunning…" he breathed.  
Taylor cleared her throat. "I deeply apologize, but we'd like to go inside now. Plenty of young men to dance with, no? Until the last dance. Au revoir, Monsieur Anthony Gerard de Chagny. Au revior, Monsieur Anthony Louis de Rossi the Second."  
They walked into the building, both blushing.

Anthony and James stared after the two.  
"Such a strange set of friends. One speaks like an aristocrat, and one speaks nothing!"  
"That's because she's mute."

"How do you know?"  
"Because. I can see it in her eyes. She has this apologetic look about her, as though it's her fault she can't speak." He sighed. "But remember, we are a strange pairing of friends, too."  
"Oh? How so?"  
"I come from the wealthiest family in France, and you come from the most historically intriguing!"  
"Historically intriguing? You can't mean that Phantom story, can you?"  
"Why can't I?"  
"It's all rubbish, you know."  
"No, I don't."  
"Well, either way, I'd say you're the luckiest of the two of us. You are my cousin - -"  
"Second cousin."  
"Fine. 'Second cousin'. Either way, you're still a de Chagny. Therefore, you're both rich and historically intriguing."  
James shook his head, laughing under his breath. "As you say it is, so shall I say it is. Come. For if there are plenty of young men for them to dance with, there must be plenty of young ladies for us."

Both thought in their minds, _Though not as enticing as **her. **_

The outside of the building looked to be a simple one, somewhat like an independent law firm or something. But, when the two girls stepped inside, they could scarcely breathe. No, their corsets weren't on too tight. It was the beauty of the architecture the struck them hard.  
"Oh, Mariah… It looks like a scene from a fairy tale!"  
Mariah put a hand over the right half of her face.  
"Like Phantom?"  
Mariah nodded.  
"The masquerade scene! Of course!"  
Once again, Mariah nodded.  
A tall old man interrupted them. "M'ladies, may I take your cloaks?"  
"Oh! Um, of course."  
They both briskly untied the cloaks and handed them off.  
"Names, m'ladies?"  
"Um, I'm Taylor Smith, and this is Mariah Matthews."  
The old man scribbled the names down and wrote numbers next to them. 222 and 223. He proceeded to take them to a back room and hang them up.  
Mariah and Taylor walked over to a staircase. It was large and lavish, gold with a little row of scarlet carpeting down the middle.  
_I'm scared to set foot on it for fear of ruining it_! thought Mariah.  
Taylor began her descent first. About halfway down the staircase, she turned back when she didn't hear Mariah's footsteps following hers. "Mariah! Come on!"  
Mariah seemed not to hear. There was something wrong.. no, not 'wrong'… something… out of place that caught her attention. Off in the farthest corner of the ballroom, near an almost bare coat rack, stood a man in a cape. It was entirely unusual. No others were dancing in a hooded cape! This man wasn't even dancing! And though she couldn't see his face, Mariah was certain that he was staring straight at her.  
"Mariah!"  
Taylor had come back up the stairs and grabbed Mariah's arm.  
"Silly! What're you doing?"  
Mariah looked back to where the hooded man should've been, but he'd disappeared into the crowd.  
Taylor sighed, "Okay, whatever. But you're going down those steps if I have to push you down 'em! I don't want to, but I will!" Taylor playfully put her hands on Mariah's back as if to push her.  
"Hang on…." she said. She snatched the shawl from around Mariah's shoulders. "I just made an executive decision: shawls are so out. Especially since that color isn't the exact same as your dress." She draped it over the banister. Mariah went to grab it. "No, Ri. No, no. Bad. The shawl is out."  
Quickly, Mariah started to pull the sleeves of the dress onto her bare shoulders. Silently, she pleaded with Taylor.  
"No."  
Mariah sighed and looked submitting at Taylor.  
"Good. Now let's go." She grabbed Mariah's arm and forced her down the steps. "Yeah, you look so much sexier without that mis-matching shawl."  
_SEXY!_ thought Mariah. She didn't want to be 'sexy'. She only wanted 'stunning'. But, alas, Mariah continued walking down the staircase. She caught several men looking at her. She noticed one looked old enough to be her father."Mariah, we've lost ten minutes. Only twenty until the unmasking. So, you stay in this general area, and I'm going to find some guys to dance with. Okay?"  
She nodded.  
"Great. Be back in a minute!"  
Mariah sighed sadly as she watched Taylor run off. She almost ran back up the steps to get her shawl, but as she looked back, she saw that it was no longer hanging from the banister. She guessed that the old man who took her cloak had picked it up.  
Nervously, she looked around and began walking to the refreshments stand. She promptly took a glass of ice water; she didn't want to risk spilling anything colored on her nearly white dress.  
While waiting for Taylor, several men approached her, asking her to dance, but she always replied with the alphabetical sign language for "I am mute." Always, those men replied with, "Sorry to hear that. Good night, Miss." and promptly left.  
Finally, Taylor returned after fifteen minutes of absence. She knew Mariah was a little impatient, and quickly explained, "I'm sorry, Mariah. I did dance a few times without you, but I did ask guys to dance with you. Most said yes, but I told them you were mute and they just disappeared! I don't know what's with these Frenchies!"  
Mariah shook her head, faking a reassuring smile. Deep down, she was hurt that people shunned her because of her inability to speak. Although, she could never let Taylor know that.  
"Excuse me," came a voice from behind Mariah, "but I saw you standing here alone this whole time." After glancing at Taylor, he said, "Well, almost this whole time."  
Sensing that Mariah had a chance to dance, and not wishing to impair the moment, Taylor said, "Well, I'm going to go find a dance partner for the final dance before the unmasking. I'll leave you two to your conversation or whatever!" Waving and grinning like a matchmaker in Heaven, she walked off, leaving Mariah staring nervously after her.  
"Miss," came the man's voice.  
Quickly she turned around to him.  
"I know you're mute, and that's fine by me, and I know I'm not the most intriguing looking man here tonight, but would you do me the honor of the unmasking dance?"  
Blushing, and after a moment of thinking, she nodded. He held his hand out to her. Reluctantly, she took it and he led her to the middle of the dance floor. Firmly but gently, he placed his right hand on her waist and took her right hand in his left. For a while, he just stared at her, not that she could tell by looking at him. His face, as already stated, was half covered in a hood. She could see his nose and below. The right half of his face was in a white, seemingly porcelain mask.  
Suddenly, Mariah remembered the dream she had right before leaving for Paris. It was the exact same. Everything! The ballroom, the gown, the man.. his hood… everything was as she had dreamt it!  
Stirring her from her thoughts, the man said, "May I ask for your name? That is, if you can sign."  
Nodding, Mariah took her left hand from his shoulder and signed the letters "M-A-R-I-A-H".  
"Mariah? That's your name?"  
She nodded.  
"Wow. Absolutely exquisite. I can't think why I've never heard it before. French, no?"  
Mariah shrugged. She'd never cared about the origin of her name. She'd never contemplated it.  
"Well, either way, it's very stunning, much like your gown. Much like you."  
Mariah looked down, blushing. These compliments would soon grow to be too much for her!  
Gently, taking his left hand from her right, he cupped her chin in his hand, raised her face to look at his, and said, "Have I offended you?"  
When she didn't reply, he said, his hand still holding her chin, "Well, if I have, please don't take offense. The only offense that should be taken is that none have spoken those words to you before this night."  
Blushing, Mariah smiled and said "Thank you" through sign language.  
"You know," he said, "there is one thing about your dress that is odd."  
Mariah raised an eyebrow.  
"No," he chuckled, "It's not bad! Just… out of place. Your sleeves. They're meant to be off-the-shoulder, no? I can tell. They're bunched up where they're sewn to the gown. That means you're wearing the dress how it ought not be worn."  
He took his hands from her waist and hand and gently placed them on her shoulders. "They should fit like this." His hands smoothly ran down the curves of her shoulders and came to a stop after a moment. "There." His hands lingered for a moment, and probably would've stayed there, had Mariah not put them back into proper dancing position. She blushed and looked up at him. Her eyes seemed to say that she didn't quite enjoy that, but she didn't detest it, either. It was no surprise to him; his touch often had that effect on women. There was a look of innocence and vulnerability that he'd noticed had disappeared over time. He found it enchanting that it existed, still, even if it was in a mute girl.  
"I apologize if I've embarrassed you."  
Mariah didn't reply.  
Interrupting them, the Host of the ball came on to the stage. "Ladies and Gentlemen! I am Darius Walter de Rossi, and I thank you for attending this Summer Celebration Masque tonight!"  
The crowd let up a cheer, but Darius Walter de Rossi held up a hand to silence them. "Thank you. Now, it is time for the unmasking. But first, I have a few things to say. Once the unmasking has occurred, you are free to stay and chat or dance once more, but this building needs to be cleared in thirty minutes. I know we're cutting it short, but things have come up and this masque must end sooner. Also, I'm putting a new spin on tonight's masquerade. This was done at the masquerades when I was a youth."  
"No Memory Lane, de Rossi!" yelled one of the men in the crowd.  
"Alright, alright! Well, to get to the point, I need everyone to face the person they were just dancing with."  
Everyone did so, although Mariah did rather reluctantly."Now, if you please, I need all the men who are interested in their partners to kiss her!"  
Mariah stared at her dance partner and shook her head.  
Despite the 'no', the man kissed her. He was gentle and soft, no tongue, to Mariah's relief. Actually, it wasn't that bad! She actually enjoyed it!  
"Now, men, you did well. Ladies, if you are interested in your partner, please indicate by the same sign."  
Mariah saw a handsome grin tug at the man's lips. Shaking her head, thinking she'd regret it, she kissed him. It wasn't long, and it was nowhere near as good as the way he kissed her, but she kissed him just the same.  
"Ha ha! Lovely!" came de Rossi's voice. "Now! Unmask!"  
Masks were thrown into the air, but Mariah's stayed on. The man pulled his hood down and revealed the most handsome face Mariah had ever seen. Well, the most handsome left half of a face! He didn't actually take his mask off...For a moment, her heart skipped a beat.  
This astonishment seemed to show through her eyes. "Oh, I'm not that great," he said. "You must be even better…." Gently, he placed his hands on her face and removed the mask. She stunned him. "One so beautiful should never have lost her ability to speak…" His hands stayed on her face.  
De Rossi spoke again, "Once I finish with the microphone this time, I'm gone. Now, if there is still one in the partnership who is interested, let he or she kiss their partner deeply! Goodnight!" With that, de Rossi left the couples to decide.  
After a quiet moment, Mariah's partner said, "May I have your permission to kiss you… Mariah?"  
Every ounce of her mental awareness was telling her to run away from him. What kind of absurd tradition was this? Having complete strangers kiss! It was… ridiculous! But… Something in his voice pulled her toward him. The way he spoke her name was so soft and enticing that she couldn't help but give in.  
Rather than nodding, she turned her face up to his and closed her eyes. She expected him to come right at her and kiss her passionately. Why, she didn't know. But he didn't, to her relief. He came in slowly and gently pressed his lips to hers. This kiss probably would've lasted longer, but a voice interrupted them.  
"Hey," came Taylor's voice, "Get away from her! Now!"  
The kiss lasted a split second longer, but he pulled away, a mischievous look in his eyes. He turned to Taylor.  
"My apologies, Mademoiselle. I meant no ill will."  
"Of course not. Mariah, was he bugging you? Did you let him kiss you?"  
Mariah only responded by looking questioningly at the man, as though Taylor wasn't even there!.  
"Well," the man spoke, "I'm sorry, but I have matters to attend to. Once again, I apologize if I've offended you. Au revoir, Mademoiselle Mariah." He bowed to her, then stood. "Good night."  
With that, he turned around and disappeared into the crowd. Mariah and Taylor stared after him.  
"Strange…" said Taylor. "C'mon. We're going to go dance with Anthony and James, then we're gone, okay? That was a little too odd for my liking….."  
The night continued. Mariah only danced twice that evening. Once with the hooded, nameless man, and once with James. The entire time, James only stared at Mariah. He thought that Mariah was the only one worth dancing with that night. In his eyes, she was genuine. But, Mariah thought hardly of James. Her mind was on the hooded man for the rest of the night.  
Thankfully, the rain had stopped as Mariah and Taylor left to get their cloaks. Hastefully, they put them on and hailed a cab. They went to the hotel in pondering silence. They got home and quickly changed into their pajamas, bid each other goodnight, and went to sleep.  
It was no wonder that Mariah dreamt of that man, over and over again.

((A/N Please read and review! I know it was terribly long, but I had the need to be more elaborate than usual! Flamers are still welcome.))


	5. The Answer Lie in Paris

((A/N Okay, I'm sorry that chapter was bad. I had a few people privately e-mail me and tell me it wasn't that grand. Sorry, once again, but I had to do something quick because my brother had to go to the hospital. These chapters may end up going a bit downhill, but that's okay. For the next 6 - 8 weeks, I'm going to be helping with my brother who broke his leg. I'm limited to computer time, so I can't write too long every day. I promise, though, I'll do my best given the circumstances. Thank you.))  
Setting: Airport,twenty minutes before boarding, the morning after the masquerade.

**_Chapter Five: The Answers Lie In Paris_ **

_Happy Birthday, Taylor! _Mariah wrote.

"Thanks, Mariah."

_You feel any different? Do you feel like sixteen? _

Nope. I feel like the same old me!" She sighed. "What a night last night, huh? You have fun?"  
Mariah nodded, and smiled.  
"Is there anything… I don't know… out of the ordinary you want to tell me?"  
Mariah grabbed her notebook and wrote:

_You remember the guy I danced with?_

"James?"

_No, the one with the hood.  
The guy who kissed me. _

Oh. Him." Clearly, Taylor didn't like him. But that's probably her protective, sisterly nature trying to keep guys from her only friend.

_Yeah, him. Well… urm, you remember that dream I had? Right before coming to Paris?_

"Urm…"

_About me in an old building… dancing with a guy who kept his face covered with a hood…. _

"Oh! That dream! Yeah, I remember you told me. What does the guy have to do with it?"

_It was him I saw in my dream. I'm almost positive._

"Almost."  
Mariah rolled her eyes.

_Eh, just coincidence, right? _

"Yup."

_Yeah, you're probably right. I guess dreams like that can't come true. I just wonder if - - _

Mariah's pen had run out of ink. She shook it and made an attempt to finish the sentence. No ink came.  
"Here," Taylor said, "Let me see if I have another pen in my bag….. Huh? What's this?" While looking through her messenger bag, she found a black box with a red, satin ribbon tied around it. The box was about the size of a box of chocolates.  
"Mariah," she said, "Did you put this in here?"  
Mariah shook her head quickly. She really had no idea what that was or how it'd gotten there.  
"Well, apparently it's for me, so…"  
Mariah made a gesture for 'Open it.'  
"Okay, okay!" Taylor laughed and began to open the box. Especially for Mariah, she opened it agonizingly slowly. When Mariah could stand it no longer, she took the box, untied the knot, and handed it back to Taylor. Mariah rarely got gifts, so she loved to see people receive their own gifts. She liked to see what was inside boxes and things.  
Taylor slowly lifted the lid and saw a piece of paper. She picked it up and read:  
**"'To Miss Taylor Lynne Smith, There are many secrets to be unlocked, and Paris holds the key to yours, but the one you carry with you, must come together, not pull apart. Happy Birthday.'** Mariah… I only ever told YOU my middle name…. Woah…."  
_She lifted up a small bundle of tissue paper and saw an old key. Inscribed on it were the faded letters "P. O. H."  
"P. O. H.?" Taylor said to herself. She saw more paper beneath the key and lifted it up._

"Oh my Go---" Mariah covered Taylor's mouth before she said something bad. Taylor batted the hand away. "Mariah, look at this! Look!" She pulled out a long, silver chain. Hanging at the end of it was a circular locket, about the size of a half dollar coin. She tried to pull the locket open, but it didn't work.Mariah took the note from the box and re-read it. _The one you carry with you, _she thought, _must come together, not pull apart…. Come together… not pull apart… That's it! _She tapped Taylor's shoulder quickly.  
"Hang on.. I think I've almost got it…" Taylor was still trying to pull the locket open. When she failed to open the locket, she sighed and said, "Okay, what?"  
Mariah signed letters that formed the phrase, "Like Sarah's locket."  
"What?"  
Once again, Mariah signed the letters, only slower.  
"Like… Sarah's… locket….."  
Sarah was one of the little girls at the orphanage a few months ago. She had been adopted about two weeks ago, and she had forgotten a locket she had when she first came. They'd gotten the locket sent to her at her new home, but before that, Taylor had a case of snooping. She tried to open the locket, but it wouldn't go. In her frustration, she'd squeezed the locket tightly and it popped open. Nothing was inside the locket, but Taylor was pleased to have opened it.  
"Like Sarah's locket…. Okay, I'll try." She placed the locket between her thumb and index fingers and pushed. When it didn't give, she pushed harder. It still didn't give.  
While Taylor kept trying to push the locket open, Mariah asked an old man signing something to an old woman. She went over and signed the words "Do you have a spare pen?" He smiled, nodded, and handed her a pen. She signed "Thank you. I'll bring it right back." She rushed over to Taylor, who was still fumbling with the locket, and wrote on her notepad:

_Think what's in it. It could be anything. It could be what you want most of all: your name. _

My name… Like, written on a piece of paper, or inscribed on the inside?"  
Mariah nodded.  
"Okay, I'll try one last time. If I can't get it, we're taking it to a locksmith when we get back to America!" She giggled a little, then became serious. She pushed the locket and both girls stared silently at it. Finally, the they heard the lock inside click. Taylor looked at Mariah who nodded and wrote "Open it."  
Fingers trembling slightly, Taylor lifted the lid of the locket. A thick, folded piece of paper fell to the ground.  
Mariah wrote,

_Oh, hang on. I gotta go give this pen back to the guy I borrowed it from. _

Taylor nodded. Mariah left and gave the pen back, signing "Thank you, sir."

He in turn signed, "No problem, Miss. Have a good flight."  
"You, too," she signed, smiling. She turned back to Taylor and saw her trembling. A tear fell from her face. She had opened the paper.  
Mariah rushed over to her and put her arm around her shoulder. Taylor looked up at Mariah, her eyes shining with salty tears, and said, "L-l-look…." The held out the paper. As it turned out, it was no paper! It was a photograph. It was old; torn in places and, of course. creased vertically and horizontally. Although the picture was black and white, she could tell it was just a professional filter because the people in it were dressed in considerably modern clothes.  
"Is that.. is th-th-that… m-me?"  
Mariah looked at the people in the photograph. It was a mother and daughter, laughing. The girl in the picture was smiling brightly and looked so carefree. The mother looked like an angel. They were outside and the wind was blowing through both their hair. At first glance, Mariah would never have guessed that the child was Taylor. Then, she saw what the child was wearing. It was a dress, cut short like what Shirley Temple wore as a child. It was pink, and clearly hand-made.  
It was the dress Taylor had worn on the day she was found and taken to the orphanage. It was the dress she wore the day she was given the name 'Smith'. It was the dress she wore when she met Mariah.  
"Is it?"  
Mariah nodded.  
"Then that," she said, pointing to the woman,"that's…. Mom?"  
It was unnecessary for Mariah to give any answer. Taylor knew. The beautiful woman in the picture was her mother. Why, that may as well be what Taylor would look like in five years. Taylor turned the paper over to see if there was a date or names. She saw, written in beautiful and faded cursive,  
"'Melaina and Taylor, June 25, 1992, Paris'.…Wow… It is me! Mariah! This is my mom!"  
She stared at the picture and said, "I'm not American! I'm French! And I've got my mom! This is really her! Oh, this is so wild!" She hugged Mariah. "I'm not leaving her again, okay? Go back to Texas, and I'll be fine here. I gotta find Mom."  
Mariah hugged her tightly and shook her head. She looked Taylor sternly in the eyes, her own seeming to say, "I'm not going back. I'm going wherever you go at all costs." Such was the sisterly love they shared for one another.  
Taylor sighed. "Fine. But where will we stay?"  
Mariah picked up the key that was in the box, a sly grin crossing her face.  
Taylor laughed. "Okay! But do you know what the key goes to?"  
Mariah nodded mischievously. She picked up her bag and headed away from the gate.  
"Where are you going?"  
Mariah rolled her eyes and dangled the key again.  
"Oh! Okay. Mortensen probably won't even notice we're gone." Taylor picked up her bag, spirits soaring. "But wait! The rest of our luggage… I have to go talk to customer services."  
So they set out, got their luggage back, and hailed a cab from the airport.  
"Parlez vous American?" asked Taylor."Yes, Miss, I do. Where to?"  
"Urm… Do you know the place where the.. urm…. uh…. de Chagny's live?"  
"The de Chagny's? Do you have business with them?"  
"Yes, we do. "  
"Well, I'll have you there in no time, Miss."  
"Merci."  
Mariah threw Taylor a questioning glance.  
"What? De Chagny. It's the last name of the guy I danced with last night. I figure his family might be well known, I mean, 'de Chagny'! Think Phantom. And plus, he told me when I danced with him last night that if I were ever in Paris again to look him up! So I'm doing just what he wanted."  
Mariah rolled her eyes.  
"May I ask," the cabbie said, "what you want with the de Chagny's?"  
Taylor thought for a moment. "Why, of course. Mrs. de Chagny is my mother's best friend. Well, was. My father moved us to America about ten years ago, and my sister and I are back in town. The de Chagny's invited us to stay at their house while we were in town in order to spare us the expense of a hotel. Kind of them, no?"  
The cabbie bought the story, hook, line, and sinker. "Of course, Miss. I'll have you there in about fifteen minutes."  
"Thank you."  
Mariah wiped her forehead and mouthed the words, "Close one."  
Taylor laughed. They conversed with the cabbie and acted as tourists do. Technically, they were tourists. The cabbie gave them a few tips about Paris and how it was different than ten years ago and other things.  
"Well," said the cabbie, "here you are. The de Chagny residence."  
"Merci, Monsieur." She paid him the money, with a small tip and said, "I'm sorry. I don't have much more. Father didn't give us much money for extras!"  
"No problem. You have a good stay in Paris now."  
"Okay, thanks!"  
By the end of their conversation, Mariah had gotten all of their luggage from the trunk and was now sitting on top of the pile of suitcases. Actually, they'd each been allowed one large suitcase, a small duffel bag, and their messenger bags. The pile wasn't large at all.  
"Let's see… how do we get in? Ah. The speaker system on the gates."  
Mariah was looking at the house. It was huge. It seemed to be a mansion! Three floors, trees everywhere, and a large walkway. Mariah was astounded.  
Taylor was unphased.  
She pressed the button on the speaker system. "Hello," she said.  
A nasally maid's voice replied, "Bonjour."  
"Parlez vous American?" To Mariah, Taylor added, "Gosh, I'm sick of that phrase!"  
"Yes, Miss. Welcome to the de Chagny residence. May I help you?"  
"Yes, urm, I'm looking for Monsieur Anthony Gerard de Chagny. Is it possible for him to meet me outside the front gates?"  
"Who may I say is calling on him?"  
"Tell him it's Taylor Smith from Texas. He knows who I am."  
"Very well, Miss. One moment, Miss."

Taylor grinned and sat with Mariah on the suitcases. "We're as good as in."

Mariah nodded and stared at the door. The next few moments passed in silence. Then, a voice from the speaker came.

"Taylor?" This time, it was a male voice. "Are you there?"

Taylor rushed to the speaker and said, "Yeah, I'm here. Is this Anthony?"

"Yeah, um... Why are you here? I thought you were going to America!"

"Just... come out here for a minute, okay?"

"Okay, I'll be right out."

The instant his end clicked off, Taylor saw the door open. Anthony came jogging out. He got to the gate and said, "So?"

"So," Taylor said, "I have a favor to ask you. And it's totally okay if you say no, because I can totally guess how odd this is going to sound..."

"What is it?"

Sighing, she said, "Mariah and I need a place to stay tonight."

"Why? What happened? Weren't you supposed to be on a plane to America right now?"

"WAS supposed to. AM not. So can you help us or not?"

He looked over at Mariah, who was suddenly interested in the laces of her shoes.

"SHE doesn't seem to want to be here..."

"Of course she does. So is that a 'no'?"

"No, of course not! You're welcome to stay here. For how long, may I ask?"

"Hopefully, just tonight. Your parents won't mind?"

"Not at all. They don't care what I do. Plus, we can say you two are Jyrni's friends."

"Jyrni?"

"Jyrni. My sister. Now then, Baltus," he said to a guard just inside the gates, "Let these young ladies in. Now, if you please."

The guard nodded and opened the gate. They walked through and thanked Anthony.

"No problem. Now we just have to convince Jyrni."

Mariah looked at Taylor and saw a mischievous grin on her face. Taylor was great at bending people to her will.

((A/N I realize there are spelling mistakes and such and I ask for you to just bear with me. I'm going to go back and edit that stuff later on. As I stated, I don't have much time. To demonstrate that, let me say that this chapter took me two hours to finish because my brother called for my aid so many times. It's hard to concentrate on every last bit of spelling when your little brother cries for you. Please, once again, bear with me. I'm honestly trying. Thank you. Please review. I've had 44 hits on my story all together, and I'd like to have a few reviews to put to that.))


	6. A Place to Stay

Lady Fae  
Oh my gosh! My first reviewer! Thank you! See, I was kind of collaborating with a friend (who I call Sensei) on this one. We wanted it to be really different and to have it stand out from everything else.  
We thought a mute character could accomplish that.  
We thought girls our age could accomplish that.  
Ya, they might be kind of young, but Sensei and I wanted them to be as much like us as possible.  
I hope that doesn't keep you from reading! Thanks again!

Vicangel  
"Fetch"! How cool! I saw that and I grinned! I never imagined a review calling my story 'fetch'! That's awesome! Thank you so much!

erik'sangel527  
You read it! My fave Phic authoress actually read my story! Thank you so much! And I'm glad you like Mariah and Taylor. Developing the characters was pretty tough. Sensei and I spent forever working on characterization. They didn't turn out just right. It was so hard getting them to be like us, but still like their own people, you know?  
And the dress thing was so fun! Sensei doesn't particularly like dresses. She wasn't too excited when her character had to go try on a dress. I wanted it to be blood red, but she said it had to be black or I'd pay... she has her terrible ways of torture... I blame the anime "Fruits Basket"... :)  
My brother's doing okay now, so no worries. I don't have to care for him as much, but he's still pretty demanding.  
You'll just have to wait on the anonymous guy! Sensei and I haven't decided for sure who it's going to be, but we've got it narrowed down to two people, and it's going to be wonderful!  
And yes, the guy who danced with Mariah IS the Phantom. That one was kind of a no-brainer! Porcelain mask over the right side of the face, wearing a cloak and a hood, with a totally shmexy grin? It simply must be the Phantom:)

To All Reviewers  
You all really have no idea how great it is to get reviews. Even if you think my story is bad, please review it. If you want to personally e-mail me or ask me anything, please do! I check my mail almost every day, so I'll reply to anything as soon as I can!  
Thank you all for your support!  
Now, shall we get on with the story?

Or I can just…. drag it out…..

No? Okay then!

Disclaimer: Yeah, Phantom isn't mine. Same old thing, you know. A/N The character Jyrni is really the closest thing to comic relief in this story. She's very jovial and 'sunshine daisies'. She's supposed to lighten the serious mood and add a bit of change in the story. Six straight chapters of seriousness would bore me, so I don't want to bore my readers.

A/N 2 All you Mormons out there will like this chapter a bit. There's a bit of referance to a Mormon item in it.

**Chapter Six: A Place to Stay**

Anthony led Taylor and Mariah into the house and told them to leave their bags at the front door.

"The butlers will take your belongings up to Jyrni's room. Mother and Father aren't home right now, so we'll convince my sister to pretend that you're both her friends. Jyrni is hard to get on your side, but once you do, she's as loyal as a dog."

Suddenly, a great dane came sauntering into the room.

"Speaking of dogs," Anthony said, slightly laughing, "This is Chico. He's generally apprehensive about strangers. Don't be surprised if he doesn't take to you."  
Chico glared at Taylor, who looked slightly taken aback. Then Chico saw Mariah. He walked over to her, and she knelt down and scratched behind his ears. "What a cute dog," she thought. Chico barked happily in approval.  
Anthony and Taylor stared. "Strange," Anthony remarked, "Chico usually doesn't do that…. Anyway, we'd better begin negotiations with Jyrni. Can you two wait here? I should think," he added, jokingly, "that these negotiations could be gruesome."  
"Alright," Taylor said. "We'll stay put." She smiled and Anthony headed up to the third floor to discuss terms with Jyrni.  
For a few minutes, Taylor just looked around as Mariah played with Chico. Finally, Mariah stopped and walked back over to Taylor. Mariah looked slyly at her.  
"What?" Taylor asked.  
Mariah elbowed her playfully in response. Her eyes gleamed with a teasing sort of satisfaction.  
"What!"  
Mariah grinned and pointed at a photograph of Anthony hanging on the wall. She then winked.  
"No, I don't! I so don't!"  
Raising an eyebrow, Mariah continued grinning.  
"I don't! I … I… agh!" Taylor glared at Mariah, trying to fake sincerity, but failed. She rolled her eyes and reluctantly said, in a hushed tone, "Okay, fine, maybe I do like him. But just a little bit!"  
Mariah nodded as if to say, "Yeah. I believe you."  
"Oh, shut up," Taylor laughed.  
She was met, of course, by a sarcastic silence.  
"You know what I meant."  
Anthony was at the top landing of the stairs. "Ahem."  
"Ah! Anthony.. urm…"  
"What did I miss?"  
"Urmm… what did you hear?"  
Anthony smirked. He really hadn't heard anything, but he played around. "Oh, I heard some juicy tidbits of information…."  
Taylor blushed and Mariah elbowed her once more.  
"So… Urm… Is Jyrni going to play along tonight?"  
"Yes. To my suffering and misfortune, though."  
"Really? Suffering and misfortune? What do you have to do in return for --"  
A voice suddenly interrupted Taylor, "Oh, Ani! Are these the girls you spoke of? The ones who are 'my friends'?"  
Anthony rolled his eyes. "Yes… And I told you not to call me 'Ani'…. Ladies, this is my older sister, Jyrni."  
"I'll call you what I want, my dear little brother… Ani." With that, Jyrni began to come quickly down the stairs. Her voice had a thick,English accent and she carried herself very well. She was wearing a black skirt and white, formal top, and her strawberry-blonde hair was pulled back in a beautiful French braid. She wore a little bit of shimmering makeup and a small ring on her right ring finger.  
"Alright… I'm going to my room. James is coming over in half an hour. Do try not to terrorize him upon his arrival…."  
"Alright, little brother." Jyrni had reached the bottom of the stair and leaned against the banister's end. "Well, well, well…. My name, as Ani has told you, is Jyrni. I'm two years his elder. And your names are?"  
Taylor said, "Well, I'm Taylor Smith and this is Mariah Matthews."  
"Good. And how old are the both of you, Taylor Smith and Mariah Matthews?"  
"Well, Mariah is fifteen, and I'm going to besixteen at 7:59 pm today."  
"Congratulations! Now, shall we be off to my room? We'll get you all set." Jyrni headed up the stairs, Mariah and Taylor following quickly after.  
As they got to the landing of the third floor, Taylor said, "Excuse me, but… just what were the conditions? You know, so that you'd pretend we three are friends?"  
Jyrni laughed joyously. "I get to have unlimited acess to Ani's Mercedes for the next two months!"

The day progressed and soon, it was about seven in the afternoon. The three girls were positioned around Jyrni's room.  
"So," said Jyrni, "What do you girls think of me thus far?"  
Taylor glanced at Mariah. "Well, I think you have great style and… and.. poise. Yeah, style and poise."  
Jyrni laughed. "Thank you. You know, you Americans are so funny. Where did you say you are specifically from?"  
"Urm, it's a town in Texas, about thirty minutes to an hour away from Dallas. It's on the maps, but you've probably never heard of it anyway."  
"Dallas? Where's Dallas?"  
Taylor looked at Mariah. "Urm… Do you know what the capital of Texas is, Jyrni?"  
"Yes, it's Austin. It was extra credit in my English class this past year to memorize the names of the states's capitals."  
"Okay, our town is about three hours.. urm… northwest, kind of, from Austin."  
"Oh, alright. I see."  
There was a few moments of silence.  
"Well," Jyrni said, "I'm going to get into my pajamas. I'll change in my closet, and Taylor can change behind that screen over there, and Mariah, you can change in my bathroom. Once you're done, go ahead and have a seat. You can sit on my bean bag, my hammock, or on the floor. Just stay off of my bed, please."  
"Oh, o-kay…."  
Mariah and Taylor changed rather quickly. Taylor's pajamas were light blue silk-like bottoms and a black top. The top had glitter designs on the front, and it showed her belly-button but had cap sleeves.  
Mariah's pajamas were pink. The bottoms were so long that she had to hem them when she first got them. Even then, they were still long. Her top was a simple spaghetti-strap and was fringed at the bottom. Taylor had bought them for her six months ago as a Christmas gift.  
After she'd finished changing, Taylor chose the beanbag to sit in. It was pink to match the décor of the room, and it was fuzzy. It seemed to be a LisaFrank product. Mariah decided to take the hammock near the bead instead of the floor. It was simple and white, secured tightly to the walls.  
"Comfortable?" Jyrni stepped out from her huge closet. She was wearing purple pajamas, much like Mariah's, except without the fringes.  
Taylor and Mariah both nodded.  
"Good. Now, as I see it, this is a bit of a slumber party situation, is it not?"  
"Sure, Jyrni."  
"Well, none of my slumber parties are REALLY slumber parties until we've played one hour of Truth or Dare. And we don't use the cards; we make up our own things, alright?"  
Both girls nodded. Mariah shivered in apprehension.  
"Good. Now, who shall go first?" With that, she jumped onto her bed, stomach first.  
Taylor spoke up. "Okay, I'll do it."  
"Wonderful! Truth or Dare, Taylor?"  
"Urm… Truth."  
"Alright. Mariah, what will you choose? Truth or dare?"  
Mariah pointed to her mouth.  
"I'm guessing," Taylor said, "That that means truth."  
"And I choose Truth as well. Everyone has to tell what their most prized possession is. I'll go first. Sorry, Taylor. You see this ring on my right hand?" She held out her hand for both girls to see. On her ring finger, there was a gold band with a shield-shaped piece of gold on it. Set into the shield of gold were small diamonds. "These diamonds spell the letters 'CTR'. You see, my father is Christian, but my mother is Mormon. Neither one of them forced me into a religion, but Mother gave me this ring when I was a child. She's.. gone now… She had it specially made for me. If I ever lost this, I'd die. I rarely take it off this finger, and when I do, it goes on a chain and is put around my neck."  
"'CTR'?" asked Taylor, "What's that stand for?" Solemnly, Jyrni replied, "Choose The Right. It's a Mormon thing. Mother said it was supposed to remind me to never do anything I wouldn't do in front of her or in front of God."  
"Wow. You're lucky to have that."  
Mariah nodded in agreement.  
"Thank you, both." She sighed. "So… who will go next?"  
Mariah raised her hand. She walked to her small suitcase and opened it. After moving aside a few neatly folded pieces of clothes, she pulled out a hand-made stuffed bear.  
"Oh, gosh, no," moaned Taylor, "Not that old thing…."  
Mariah nodded.  
Sighing, Taylor spoke for Mariah, "I made that old thing for her a long time ago. Like, nine years ago when we became best friends. I had to have an adult help me, but it still turned out kind of bad. Anyway, it's a Wishing Bear. It's a concept I made up when I was little. I thought that if you write your wish on a piece of paper, sew the paper in the bear with the stuffing, and carry the bear with you always, then at some point, your wish will come true. Then when it does, you take out the stuffing and your paper, then burn it with glitter. Then you stuff the bear with new stuffing and give the bear to someone else."  
"So your wish hasn't come true yet, Mariah," asked Jyrni.  
Mariah shook her head.  
"What was your wish?"  
Taylor spoke before Mariah could signify anything. "She's not allowed to tell. It's like a birthday wish. You can't tell or it can't come true."  
"Oh…. Sorry. Well, your turn, Taylor."  
"Okay then….."  
She reached into her messenger bag and pulled out the locket she had received earlier that day.  
"I think," Taylor said, "That this locket belonged to my mother. I'm not sure, though. There's no name inscribed on it, but even if there were, I still wouldn't know for sure."  
"A locket, huh? May I see it?"  
"Sure." Taylor held the locket out to Jyrni. "Be careful with it. It's really special to me, just thinking that it might be my mother's."  
Jyrni held the locket and turned it over in her hands. "I'm not sure why, but I feel like I've seen this before…. There must be a reason why…. Where did you say you got this?"  
"Oh, um, it was a birthday present I found in my bag this morning."  
"I see…" Jyrni handed the locket back to Taylor. "You be careful with that. Many people would love to get their hands on such a lovely old locket."  
And so the night continued in a similar way. They played Truth or Dare for about an hour, then they looked at magazines. Soon, it was 7:58 pm.  
"You guys, look! I'm almost sixteen!"  
As the clock turned to say 7:59, Mariah hugged Taylor and mouthed the words "Happy Birthday!"  
Jyrni looked strangely at the display. She'd always considered her birthday official when she woke up; she never waited until her time of birth to consider herself another year older. "Happy Birthday…."  
They gave each other makeovers and watched a movie. They eventually fell asleep.  
Jyrni dreamt of being a movie actress who teased the camera man by running off with it.  
Taylor dreamt of a large and expensive birthday party with her family all around her.  
Mariah dreamt of having a place to call home.

A/N I don't know… The chapter seemed slightly strange…. How do you all feel?


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